TCA press tour: Adam Richman of ‘Man v. Food’ talks food and travel

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The summer Television Critics Assn. press tour has begun with a session about eating and traveling.

Come on, Travel Channel, our minds are drifting to faraway lands and delicious foods. We haven’t eaten lunch yet and we’ll be stuck at the (very nice) Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena for the next 12 days. Seems a little cruel, doesn’t it?

Except that we found the host of the Travel Channel’s hit ‘Man v. Food’ smart and engaging, so we’ll give you a pass.

Adam Richman, who grew up in Brooklyn, competed in high school track and lacrosse, and graduated from Yale’s School of Drama, wants you to know that he does not eat like a pig -- not the way you would think.

As part of his series, which takes him to sinful locations for scrumptious eating, Richman participates in challenges that involve very large portions of food. He once ate a burger that was the size of a bar stool cushion. Get the picture?

This is what he had to say about it:

The food is never processed, always fresh and always very flavorful. He would not recommend what he does on TV as a lifestyle, and he doesn’t film every week. Plus, he works out like a mad man before and after the challenges.

‘For me the success I have with challenges is generally because of two factors--the taste is so great and I get so amped with the crowds.’

Coming up in the second season, Richman introduces viewers to a delicacy in Springfield, Ill.: the horseshoe sandwich.

‘We’re using food as a point of departure to explore cities,’ Richman said. ‘ [Springfield] doesn’t have the culinary profile of a big city in terms of haute cuisine, but it does have a staple and it’s a point of pride to the people there.’

The second season premieres Aug. 5.

-- Maria Elena Fernandez